The Key to Finding a Better Balance

It’s easy to let the demands of motherhood tip you in one direction, leaving other parts of your life sitting on the back burner.

You don’t realise you’re neglecting your self care – even when you become overwhelmed and short fused. You don’t see that your man needs attention, until you start drifting apart. Without enough fun, friends or personal growth – you get into a total rut. Take your eye off the ball with finances, organising or cleaning – and suddenly you’re in a deep mess.

So how can a busy mama find a better balance in life when there’s always so much that needs attention?

First you have to know, balance is not about giving the same amount of energy to all areas of your life simultaneously. It’s more about being aware of what needs your focus at any given time and recognising the symptoms of feeling out of balance before things get out of hand.

It’s all too easy to let some areas of your life fall off the radar completely while you’re too busy with everything else.

The good news is, I have the key to helping you get back into balance fast.

Based on a Life Wheel exercise used by life coaches, I’ve re-invented the wheel – giving it the Project Me spin to include life areas specifically relevant to busy mothers like you.

I’ve added a life section for Productivity to cover everything that goes along with running the show. (Meal planning, organisation, time management, etc.) Love also has its very own piece of the pie. (Lumping your partner in with your kids is never a good idea.)

Whenever you’re feeling out of balance, the Project Me Life Wheel® will help you figure out why. Doing this simple exercise once a month will give you a bird’s eye view of what needs your attention right now. There are only so many days in a week and you need to make sure you’re spending your time and energy on the right stuff.

I’m now giving away the Project Me Life Wheel®. It comes with full driving instructions so you can give it a spin straight away. Just pop your name and email into the box below. (I’ll never share your details with anyone.)

The results of your wheel will give you a starting point for what steps to take next. Each week you’ll also get a Monday Motivator to help keep you on track.

I’m passionate about helping you find a happier balance. Take this free gift – and let me know how it works for you.

What are your warning signs of feeling out of whack? Are you ready to give the Project me Life Wheel® a spin? Leave your comment below.

Please use the share buttons to help more busy mamas find a better balance.

My favorite part : “balance is not about giving the same amount of energy to all areas of your life simultaneously. It’s more about being aware of what needs your focus at any given time and recognising the symptoms of feeling out of balance before things get out of hand.”
Thank you for this powerful tool and means to step away from the details weighing us down so that we can see what is really going on and focus on what matters most and/or is being neglected.

This came at the perfect time! Balance can be such a struggle, especially this time of year. I really like how you stated that not all areas of life need the same amount of energy put into them. Thank you!

You’re welcome ! We’re really happy that it landed in your lap at the right time Cathy! It was a real relief for us too when we realised that balance isn’t about giving equal attention to all areas across the board simultaneously. Keep checking in with your life wheel – especially over this busy time – so you can continue to give your energy where it’s most needed and know that nothing is being neglected.

Hi Suzie,
This is such an invaluable tool to use on a regular basis, making me more focused on what’s needed and where.
Important also not to ‘beat myself up’ if I don’t get all aspects of my life right all of the time. After all practice makes perfect!

Before using your Life Wheel I was overwhelmed at work and home, struggling to find “me time” and when I did have my “me time” it was in the worst possible way. I’d spend hours on social media or watching a TV series, I’d stay up too late and wake up late. My mornings were rushed and frazzled and I was consistently late to work. I was frustrated that I’d get to work late because I then would have to leave late, I blamed my kids for ruining my morning by not moving fast enough, and I’d blame my husband for not helping. I was definitely not being the best person I could be or wanted to be.

My husband is incredibly productive and very A-type personality. He expects a lot but also produces a lot. He’d been telling me to get up earlier and “set out” things the night before but I’d tried those things and they weren’t enough. I said I wasn’t a morning person and just gave up on the idea of ever having a good morning until retirement…

I still wanted to improve my attitude so that I could at least be kind in the midst of chaos and that’s when I began reading Tiny Buddha. As I mentioned your blog really hit home, I could see that “horrible mother in the mornings” and was comforted that I wasn’t alone in forever being one, but also that there could be a solution. I used the Life Wheel and saw that I needed to work on productivity the most. Le sigh, my husband was right…I looked at your suggestions and came up with going to bed on time, parking in the garage, my husband getting one kiddo ready, and picking clothes and lunches the night before.

This has worked IMMENSELY! After 3 weeks my morning attitude has improved, and, therefore my relationship with my family. I get to work on time and leave on time. I am able to help with things when the other salaried staff are late. I work out more because I am home on time, so my health and personal growth has improved. I also see myself procrastinating less and less, both at home and at work. I can feel the benefits of productivity in the long-term and that short-term satisfaction of putting things off is not worth it. I have scheduled nights when I work on bills, read, or give myself no responsibilities because I know it’s a busy work day. I can’t believe I go to bed EARLIER and have MORE me time?!? My productivity has gone from a two to a seven!! Health three to six. Personal growth four to seven. Family six to a nine! And all of that from only focusing on the area I KNEW needed most improvement, it’s all connected.

There is still room for improvement like meal planning making working out consistent on the weekends. I would also like to to make Sunday a prep day for the week (boxing meals and putting together outfits).

Thank you AGAIN for this amazing tool!! I look forward to continuing to follow your blog and checking-in to report on my progress!

I had been feeling anxious for a large portion of my pregnancy because in those short 9 months I got a dog, I moved twice, got married, transferred colleges, and got an amazing new job that I was forced to leave to be a stay at home mom. After all that, I had completely lost my voice- I had no idea who I was as a person. The Project Me Life Wheel was the first tool that actually helped me organize my thoughts and my fears in a way that was empowering rather than overwhelming. It helped me pick one thing to focus on improving. Once a month I plan on doing a check in with the Project Me Life Wheel so I don’t get so anxious again.

Thanks so much for sharing your honest story here Lauren. I’m happy the Life Wheel got you out of overwhelm and into a happier place. A once a month check-in using your wheel is the key to noticing when things are out of balance before they turn into a crisis.

I try to do the life wheel tool quarterly, and encourage my girlfriends to do the same. A couple years back when I saw that my work area was very low (stay at home mom) I made the decision to get my Master’s in Educatiom. I graduated in May and am now working with English Language Learners. I am so very fulfilled helping and empowering my students.

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